1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a foreign materials filtering apparatus for filtering foreign materials such as nap floating in a washing tub, and a washing machine having the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a washing machine serves to remove each kind of foreign materials attached to laundry such as clothes and bedclothes by a softening operation using detergents, by a frictional operation using a washing current according to rotation of a pulsator, and by an impact applied to laundry from the pulsator, etc.
The washing machine comprises a cabinet that forms the appearance; a reservoir received in the cabinet; a washing tub received in the reservoir, and rotated at the time of a washing or dehydrating process; a motor installed at a bottom surface of the reservoir, for rotating a pulsator and the washing tub; and a clutch for determining a transmission direction of a driving force from the motor, such that both the pulsator and the washing tub rotate at the time of a washing operation, and only the washing tub rotates at the time of a dehydrating operation. The washing machine further comprises a net filter installed at an inner side of the washing tub, for filtering foreign materials such as nap separated from laundry during a washing operation.
The operation of the net filter has been described in Korean Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-73573 or 2002-45381. More concretely, as a pulsator rotates, washing water collected at a lower end of the pulsator rises to an upper side of a washing tub along a flow passage formed between an inner wall and an outer wall of the washing tub. Then, the risen washing water is re-introduced into the washing tub via a mesh of a net filter. Here, foreign materials of the washing water does not pass through the mesh thus to be filtered.
However, the conventional net filter has the following problems.
First, the net filter has to be pulled out of or pushed into a net filter mounting groove with being held by a user's hand so as to be separated from or coupled to the washing tub. That is, the net filter is not easily separated from or coupled to the washing tub, and foreign materials fall down during the process thus to make the user's hand dirty.
Second, since the net filter is installed at an upper end of the washing tub, when a certain amount of water and a water pressure more than a certain level are not maintained, washing water can not be supplied to the net filter. Accordingly, foreign materials can not be filtered by the net filter.
Third, the net filter is installed to be exposed to inside of the washing tub, thus to repeatedly come in contact with laundry to be easily abraded, etc. Accordingly, the net filter may be easily damaged thus to have a short lifespan.
Fourth, the net filter is installed to be long disposed inside the washing tub, thereby degrading the appearance.